ever so gingerly

October 9, 2012

As fall graces us I’m drawn to cozier, warmer flavors. Nothing seems to embrace the change in season better than cinnamon, ginger & cloves. I happen to have a favorite cookie that incorporates all of these—Soft Gingerbread Spice Cookies. The true highlight being the ginger. Spicy & pungent, ginger adds a zing to any dish, and a little goes a long way! Additional to its culinary uses, ginger root is known for its strong medicinal qualities, and since ancient times has shown effective for GI troubles, aiding indigestion & even motion sickness. The official name is zingiber officialle, and the rhizome of the plant is not only soothing to thy stomach, but the gingerol compound found in the root, has been shown in modern studies as a potent anti-inflammatory aiding in arthritis. Additionally it has shown to be an antioxidant, and to inhibit tumor cell formation in recent mouse studies. I enjoy ginger in many of its forms: I drink ginger tea, use ginger syrup in sparkling water, and have come to enjoy it crystallized—and who isn’t tempted to order a Canada Dry on an airplane? So many ways to enjoy this spice, it’s almost too easy.

Though you can find ginger to simply supplement, I prefer to cook with it using the root or ground ginger. Though I don’t consider cookies to be a health food, sometimes you just need to bake. Using some ground ginger, created these boasting a slightly crisp outside, and a soft center. These are thin like the cutout gingerbread kind, but taste much lighter. I love to have one right from the oven with a little powdered sugar on top.

Sugar and spice! That's the case with these little soft ginger cookies. Prepare to embrace Fall and holiday season to come with these for parties or just with milk after dinner. They are a favorite & easy to make ahead.

Transfer dough into smaller metal bowl and place in freezer for about 25-35 minutes (*Consistency of dough is soft set, so chilling dough allows us to make perfect rounds for baking).

Remove firmed dough from freezer and roll into about 1T size dough balls, in palms of hands.

Roll to coat each dough ball on a shallow dish with remaining sugar.

Place sugar covered dough balls on parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake 8-10 min, till browned.

*Cookies will have slight crust on outside, but be soft inside!

Immediately cool cookies on wire baking rack.

Once cooled, dust tops of cookies with powdered sugar.

Store left over cookies in air-tight container, but also stores well in fridge and freezer.

Notes:

These cookies are soft in nature with a slight crust to the outside, and so we have to freeze the dough down to firm the texture, so we can roll it before baking. This dough is easily made ahead and stored in an airtight container in your freezer! Just remove desired amount and bake batches as needed. These cookies are perfect at room temp, but also taste amazing stored cold or even frozen!

I get requests for these from friends quite a lot, so I always double the batch! I even like to make the dough ahead and freeze it for impromptu cookie emergencies—you can never be too prepared. I think these are a must try as the holidays grow near (and word on the street is Santa is quite partial to them too). They also make for an excellent dessert for holiday gatherings or potlucks . . . and really, they’re just down right simple to make. It’s time to get yourself a glass of milk, a couple of these cookies, and your day just became a little sweeter (and cookies are a legitimate lunch).

[…] kale, are your greens with enzymes & iron to help cleanse the body. The ginger has a slew of benefits (anti-inflammatory, stomach aide, good with sushi). Apple offers pectin and fiber, the carrot . . […]ReplyCancel

ShirleyNovember 29, 2013 - 2:08 pm

Could someone tell be what “baker’s sugar” is.
I thought it was white sugar nut the recipe then
asks for white sugar also.
Powdered sugar is also used. Baker’s sugar has me stumped.
Someone please tell me what it is????
Thank you!ReplyCancel

the dinnervineNovember 29, 2013 - 6:05 pm

Hi Shirley,

Thank you for visiting my site and for your comment! Sorry if I made the ingredient list this recipe confusing. Baker’s sugar is white sugar, but very finely granulated. I prefer to for most cookie baking as the sugar’s finer texture doesn’t clump as much when creaming with butter, etc. I get mine right next to regular white sugar in the baking isle of my local grocery (the one I get comes in a carton vs. bag). Though regular sugar works well too! I will amend my recipe to use the terms more consistently. Thanks again for visiting the dinnervine!ReplyCancel

What kind of molasses? I often see this but are you talking about king syrup molasses or Briar Rabbit molasses?ReplyCancel

the dinnervineDecember 1, 2013 - 5:16 pm

Hi Lois, Thank you for stopping by the dinnervine. I use good ole’ sugarcane molasses. specifically Grandmother’s brand, http://www.grandmasmolasses.com/products/grandmas-original-molasses/. I feel the original works fantastically, though I have never tried the ‘Robust’ more concentrated varieties, though they might also impart great flavor. This cookie is pretty delicate however, so I think regular molasses works out well. Thanks for your comment!ReplyCancel

CindyDecember 1, 2013 - 9:47 am

This recipe looks amazing! I don’t use molasses a lot in my cooking and didn’t want to go out and buy any (it’s so expensive too!!) Can I sub brown sugar or honey?ReplyCancel

the dinnervineDecember 1, 2013 - 5:13 pm

Hi Cindy, I agree, I don’t use molasses too much either, but I think you could definitely use some honey! In addition, dark brown sugar would be a great option, as it contains molasses. I am not sure on the consistency, as I’ve never substituted with the honey in this recipe, but if you really chill down the dough, I imagine it will work and taste great! Thanks so much for stopping by, I’d love to hear how they turn out, Happy Holidays, Lyndsy.ReplyCancel

Hi Shirley, Sorry for any confusion. 1T = Tablespon’s worth of dough. You could use more or less depending on how large you prefer your cookies to be. (I make these a little on the smaller side). Thank you for visiting the dinnervine and my cookie recipe.ReplyCancel

BARBARAOctober 9, 2015 - 7:36 am

I HAVEN’T TRIED THESE YET, JUST FOUND YOUR SITE. I LOVE ALL THINGS GINGER!ReplyCancel

KathyOctober 9, 2015 - 8:31 am

Is the flour in your ginger cookie recipe all-purpose or self-rising?ReplyCancel

the dinnervineOctober 31, 2015 - 11:14 am

Hi Kathy, I am just now seeing your comment, my apologies for the delay. The flour is all-purpose. I hope that helps! I will add that note to the recipe. Thank you!ReplyCancel

Welcome to the dinnervine!

Thank you for visiting the dinnervine! In the words of Julia Child, "People who love to eat, are always the best people," and I couldn't agree more. I hope you enjoy these dishes as much as I did making them. Here's to creating new recipes and memories with friends & family, cheers!